The World Is Full Of Problems
This is good news. Actually it is great news. Problems are opportunities for growth - if you are able to find -and successfully apply- the solution to a problem that will help someone in any way, you will inevitably create value. If you can find a solution to a big problem (e.g. cure for cancer) you will create an immense value. If you can find a solution to a not so gargantuan, but widespread problem, you will have created tremendous value. But even if you find a solution to a small problem that will benefit a few people, you might still have the benefit of being able to learn something valuable that you can apply later in the solution of greater problems. Don't let yourself be discouraged by the (lack of) magnitude of problems: keep your eyes open and help people even if they do not approach you proactively - this will invite good things to happen to you in the long run.
However not everybody in the workforce seems to have the proclivity to solve problems. As an agent of change you might even occasionally gain the impression that some people are going great lengths to prevent problems from being solved. I distinguish between three kinds of attitudes that can be witnessed in people facing problems:
1. The Ignorant
This is the type of guy that has been around for a long time and has witnessed -or even been part of- changes. However somehow he stopped caring about progress in general and specific problems that pop up along the way in particular. Therefore his standard attitude is to ignore the problem, accept its presence as fate and hope they will vanish by some mysterious higher force, just like that. By default this force is everyone else but him. An alternative scenario is that the problem is going to grow so severe over time, that eventually something is going to give. Original -small- problem solved by new -and more severe- problem. Example: Save maintenance costs and let a machine go to waste - eventually replace the entire machine with a new one - ouch!
2. The Observer
The second kind of attitude is tricky: on the surface it seems to address the problem but eventually lacks action in the solution process. The obviously easy way to point out the problem and then do nothing about it is a widespread phenomenon in business culture. A worse form of this attitude is to even complain about the mere existence of a problem, once it has been pointed out. In the worst case people even start a history lesson (How did we get to the point that we have this problem?) or dive into the blame game (Who's fault is it, that there is a problem?). All this is not interesting and will not help in solving any problem. A deep analysis and a firm understanding of cause and implication of a problem is always a must, before an adequate solution can be found. However, only pointing out issues will never suffice. Hence you should always proceed from the observer to the next type of attitude:
3 The Problem-Puncher
This guy punches problems right in the face. The bigger the better. Once you have experienced the rewards of solving difficult and challenging problems you might get hooked to the process. Adrenaline and serotonin are very strong drugs your body produces on its own. Their long term effect on your mindset can not be overstated. Chances are you will grow a tendency to tackle ever more complex and larger problems. Problems that have been around for a long time, because nobody had the guts to attack it. Some problems are so complex, you will not be able to solve them in one go. You'll have to chip away bit by bit. Huge transformations, like the ones we face these days in the wake of digitalization or the pandemic, might be accelerated by circumstances. People might look back to the early 2000-years and mesmerize about the speed and magnitude of changes that are happening on a daily basis. But even though we live in times of severe changes at the speed of a time lapse, deep changes always necessitate some kind of cultural change along the way. Therefore even problem-punchers have to be aware of the implications and the effect on people that solutions bring.
Punch problems in the face! But be careful not to accidentally punch people in the process. Mind the ignorants and the observers, but don't let them discourage you.
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